Huntsville gets a chance to do what she does best: combine her creative thinking skills, her complex problem-solving expertise, and advanced technology capabilities to find ways to combat the wide-ranging negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

These opportunities arise from an Innovation Fund created by the Booz Allen Foundation. The fund will award up to $1 million in grants to help nonprofits, entrepreneurs, thought leaders, innovators at colleges and universities, startup companies, and small businesses, harness the power of data, technology, and diverse intellectual capital, to improve COVID-19 relief efforts. The foundation wants to bring to the surface the most innovative solutions, while empowering individuals and small businesses behind those solutions towards development and implementation.

The two main areas of focus for the funding are finding solutions that build community resilience, while protecting vulnerable populations and frontline workers; and ways in which workers can return to work safely.

Booz Allen is looking for new technologies, new ways to collect data, a new way to develop personal protective equipment, and new social connection methods – all with the goal of eliminating the negative impact of the pandemic.

The grants will be awarded to the best ideas for creating systems, products and technologies; and finding new approaches, delivery systems, or processes.

“We are seeking the most innovative solutions to the unimaginable challenges that our world faces today as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Nancy Laben, co-founding board member of the Booz Allen Foundation. “Through the Innovation Fund, the Booz Allen Foundation seeks to empower individuals and organizations with resources to truly change the world and bring to life their brightest solutions in support of the most vulnerable among us as we navigate this unprecedented time together.”

Applications must be submitted by June 5 to be eligible and will include answers to a brief set of questions about how your solution or project will solve an urgent social problem or build community resilience in the wake of COVID-19.

Awards will be announced in July.

Nonprofits can apply for grants of up to $100,000. Individuals, teams of individuals, nonprofits and small businesses can apply for microgrants of up to $10,000. Certain eligibility requirements apply.

To start the application process, visit https://boozallenfoundation.org/innovationfund-application/.

The Booz Allen Foundation was created in 2017 as an independent 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to convening diverse stakeholders to solve challenging social issues.

On April 1, the Booz Allen Foundation and Booz Allen Hamilton launched a coordinated philanthropic initiative to address pandemic-related issues, including initial giving to address the immediate needs of vulnerable local populations through the Feeding America network of food banks and community-based agencies. The launch of the Innovation Fund continues the foundation’s ongoing support for communities impacted by COVID-19.